The LCEMS Special Tactics & Operational Rescue Medicine Team is the county’s TEMS team.  These medics are assigned to law enforcement SWAT teams operating under dangerous conditions with unconventional hazards. The purpose of a tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) program is to provide preventative medicine with immediate access to medical care, despite hazardous conditions that might otherwise delay treatment. Tactical Medics are trained to serve in “Hot Zone” whereas traditional EMS are not.

This is accomplished by consistent, specialty training, consisting of tactical movements and combat medicine. This team has received training consisting of weapons recognition, self-defense, self-aid/buddy-aid, legal aspects of Tactical EMS, small arms training, and are all CCW licensed.  Extended Basic/Advanced Tactical Medicine Course including training in SWAT tactics, Tactical Combat Casualty Course (TCCC) as well as Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). The team participates in weekly training with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and Ironton Police Department SWAT team. The Team must also meet OPOTA weapons certifications.

Tactical Combat Casualty Course (TCCC) / Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). TCCC/TECC launched a total reassessment of practices with one overarching goal: Decrease Preventable Combat Death at the point of wounding. These new strategies based on historical wounding patterns in combat/tactical environments, also bear a particular relevance to the operators of Tactical Law Enforcement who share many operational parallels with their military counterparts. Instead of the civilian-based approaches of the past, integrated strategies specific to combat realities continue to emerge. Compared to standard pre-hospital treatment modalities, which are fundamentally based on blunt trauma, TCCC/TECC distinguishes itself from the norm by focusing primarily on the intrinsic tactical variables of penetrating trauma compounded by prolonged evacuation times.

Similar to military special operations, where the medic is a member of the team, the Tactical Medic also provides preventive and emergency care to the team as well as civilian casualties. This component of preventive care to the team is unique to most EMS providers.